GMOs 2.0

A new generation of genetic engineering technologies is moving rapidly into our food and farming systems with far too little oversight.

These technologies include synthetic biology, which enables the design and release of novel organisms; genetically engineered soil microbes intended to alter crop growth and soil ecosystems; and gene-silencing pesticides that use RNAi technology to disrupt biological processes in insects and other organisms.

Friends of the Earth believes these products could harm the environment, have unintended effects, and increase corporate control over agriculture. They should face strong regulations, independent safety testing, and public review before being released into the environment.

Projects

May contain two people planting a seed in soil.

GMO Soil Microbes

May contain one person spraying a field of tobacco plants.

Gene-Silencing Pesticides

Synthetic Biology

Media

News Releases

New Genetically Engineered Soil Microbes Could Threaten Soil Health

As companies push to commercialize genetically engineered (GE) soil microbes, a new report reveals risks and recommends policy action.

News Releases

Banners to Bezos and Gates: Back Off of Biodiversity!

The banners were unfurled to warn delegates that mega-billionaires such as Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com) and Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft) are perversely influencing global decisions about bi…

News Releases

Gene-Silencing Pesticides Pose New Risks to Health, Environment and Farmers

This opens the door for any exposed organism to potentially be genetically modified directly in the field, without any prior risk assessment.

News Releases

Trump announces rollback of GMO, biotechnology regulations

This is just the latest of Trump’s attacks on sensible, science-based regulations, once again putting the interests of corporations ahead of the interests of our health and environment.

News Releases

Report: Algae biofuel claims overhyped

Rushing genetically engineered algae into production ahead of safety assessments and oversight could result in serious unintended consequences. These organisms could become ‘living pollution’ that…

News Releases

FDA on “Bleeding” veggie burger: “no basis for safety”

The company privately admitted to the FDA that it had not conducted or designed safety tests of burger’s key GMO ingredient.

Media Archive

Resources

Genetically Engineered Soil Microbes: Risks and Concerns

The release of live genetically engineered microbes in agriculture represents an unprecedented open-air genetic experiment.

Gene-Silencing Pesticides: Risks and Concerns

Gene-silencing RNAi pesticides are virtually unregulated, both domestically and internationally, and therefore are on track to be commercialized without proper risk assessments or precautions

Shopper’s Guide to GMOs: Are You Ready For The New Wave of Genetic Engineering?

These GMOs by other names are still GMOs. Companies are rushing patented new genetic engineering technologies into food, cosmetics and supplements with no precaution and no transparency.

Synbio Algae Issue Brief

The hype and investment around algae biofuels has not resulted in commercially viable biofuels. Worse yet, they distract attention and resources from more promising, less risky and proven solutions to…

Synbio Algae Report

The question remains: Is Big Oil’s investment in algae biofuels based on confidence in a credible alternative to fossil fuels, or is it nothing more than a public relations stunt?

A Shopper’s Guide to Synthetic Biology

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have been in our food for 20 years, but they have recently been changing. Corporations are now tampering with nature in new and riskier ways.

More Resources

GMOs 2.0

GMOs 2.0

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